Collapsible box



Nov. 10,1925. 1,561,138

0. L. CHARTERS Y COLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed Sept. 5, 1924 ATTJR/VEY.

Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

' ones L. enemas, or L08 menus, earn-01mm.

COLLAI'SIBLE BOX.

Application am September a, 1924. Serial n. 735,720.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I, OLGA L. CHARTERS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Los Angeles, inthe county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in C01- lapsible Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to receptacles suitable for use by travellers who may desire that their baggage, when no articles of apparel are to becontained therein, shall 00- cupy a minimum amount of space. The invention has particular reference to such receptacles designed to contain, when not col-- lapsed, such articles as womens hats.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a box which, when open or set up, may contain one or more hats, but which, when not to be used as a container for anything, may be collapsed so as to occupy little space in a trunk or on a shelf in a closet, or elsewhere.

Of the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the box 7 in set up condition, ready for transportation or storage with hats or other articles contained therein.

Fig. 2 illustrates the set up box with the cover or lid open.

Figure 3 illustrates the box in partly collapsed condition, and

Figure 4 illustrates the box in completely collapsed or folded condition, but inverted to show the bottom.

a the cover or lidmember 17. Said member terial as may be desired, such ieces being secured together in any preferred manner.

To enable the 'box to be folded or collapsed, difi'erent members thereof are creased or so connected as to provide hinges. For convenience of description such creases or connectlons will be hereinafter referred to as fold lines. I

The side walls 14 have diagonal fold lines a and are foldable on lines 6 relatively to the bottom 12, on lines a relatively to the front wall 13, andon lines d relatively to the triangular sections 15. Said sections 15 are connected to the section 16 on fold lines 6 (Fig. 3). The section 16 is foldably connected with the bottom 12 on line f and with the cover 17 on line 9 and is itself foldable on an intermediate line 72.. The front wall 13 is foldable on line 71 toward the bottom 12. It will now be understood that fold- 111g occurs at all places where letters are employed instead of numerals.

Pivotally carried by each triangular section 15, in about the location illustrated, is a cli or latch 22.

Secured to one of the side walls 14 is one end of a long strap 23 and secured to the opposite side wall is a short strap '24 having a buckle 25, the.cover 17 having strapengaging or strap-guiding strips 26 (Fig. 1).

Secured to the inner surface of the cover 17 at the central portion thereof are two flaps 27 (Figs. 2 and 3), preferably consisting of an oval piece of suitable fabric se-. cured at its mid-length to the cover and having its margin 28 stiffened by wire or pasteboard. The purpose of said flaps will be described hereinafter.

. When the box is to be converted from collapsed condition as illustrated by Figure 4 to a set up or open condition as illustrated by Figure 2, it is first laid open as shown by Figure 3. Then the front wall 13 may be swung up and doing this effects a pull upon the side Walls to swing them up toward upright position. And at the same time, owing to the connections of the several sections or members, the section 16 is partly lifted. The sides may then be readily manipulated to upright positions and the section 16 pushed up far enough to permit the two clips 22 to be swung over or around so as to lap over the edges of the section 16 as. shown by Figure 2. This swinging of the clips puts and holds the box in condition to enables an article such as a receive whatever is to be placed therein, be-

v is passed-over it and slipped through the guides 26 and secured by the buckle 25. The function of this strap 23 is two-fold, viz: it serves as a handle for carrying the box and its contents, and it holds the side walls from springing in. This last is due to the fact that the buckled straps 23, 24, are connected to the sidewalls and pass up around the flanged edges of the cover which, in. practice, is stiff enough to resist collapsing strain when the box is m the condition shown by Figure 1 and is being carried.

To convert the box from the set up condition shown by Figure 1 to the fiat collapsed condition shown by Figure 4, it is only necessary to-unuckle the strap 23-and slip it out from the ides 26, then lay the cover back or even without laying the cover back swing the clips 22 out of engagement with the section 16, and then the box will almost automatically assume the flat folded condition shown by Figure 4.

It'will now be understood that when the box is collapsed, the front wall and the side walls, are folded in and with their fold lines a a? and e, are confined between the bottom section 12 and the cover or lid 17 the flanges 18 of the latter extending over and protecting from wear all of the folds at the lines I), c and 13. Therefore, since the bottom section 12 and the cover 17, 18, are readily made of strong and durable material, reinforced or double-thick if. desired, the box as a whole will with-stand very rough usage such as, for instance, when folded fiat and packed with other articles in a trunk which latter is then subjected to extended and varied travels.

The flapls 27 carried by the central portion of t 0 cover or lid, rovide means whereby the box may safe y contain two hats without interference one with the other. When so employed, one hat will be placed on the bottom of the set up. box and the other suspended, inverted, from thefiaps 27, by means of hat pins, or one pin, passed through the flaps and through the portion of the inverted hat which usually receives a pin or pins when the hat is worn. And of course if the box is to contain'but one hat, that one may be secured to the flaps 27 in the manner ust referred to, and be thereby held against lateral shifting within the box.

The location of said fla s as described ensures retention of such at in a position where its brim will not be liable to be in- Lured by contact with the side walls of the Having now described my invention, 1 claim 2- 1. A collapsible box having one of its walls formed to provide an open space when the box is set up to receptacle condition, said box having a cover and a foldable section connecting it with the bottom of the box, said foldable section being formed to extend'over said open space when the box is set up and closed.

2. A collapsible box comprising a bottom having wall sections and a cover all of which are permanently connected, a piece of flexible material being secured at its mid-length to the central portion of the inner surface of the cover.

3. A collapsible box comprising a bottom section, a front wall section, side-wall sectionshaving diagonal crease lines, inner and outer rear-wall sections, and a cover section, all of said sections being connected and foldable relatively to each other, the outer rearwall section being transversely foldable to enable itto be doubled, and cli s attached to the inner rear wall and mova le to position to overlap the outer rear wall to hold the box in set up condition.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

OLGA L. CHARTERS. 

